Before saying our goodbyes, I suggested the idea of taking the doll to a ripperdoc to check if it had a tracker in its software. It wouldn't take a long time before anyone at Clouds noticed the doll was missing.

Shin agreed, and the two got into his car. Before driving away, he said, "You're a good person, sir. You didn't need to help me, but I'm thankful that you did, and I appreciate you letting me keep my eddies. So long, stranger."

I waved goodbye as I watched the car drive away from Megabuilding. With the clouds now over, I headed back to Ryuji's to check on the progress of my car. Opening the door to the garage, I could see Ryuji's feet underneath my car, still working on it.

Ryuji could tell that it was me just by my shoes, “Hey! Max. How did things go at Clouds?”

I decided not to tell Ryuji some of the truth but leave out key details as I wanted to keep my word with Shin: “Turns out your friend was a customer at Clouds. I did try to see if I could find him, but I couldn’t. All I could find was your friend meeting with a doll.”

Ryuji wiped off his fingers. “At least he’s not in trouble with the Tyger Claws... Your car is almost ready; I just need to check over the engine, and that should be it. If you want to, take a seat in my office while I check the engine; it should be a ten-minute job.”

I walked into his office and noticed the couch by the window looking rather inviting. I laid down and rested my eyes.

Ten minutes later

After taking a brief nap, I experienced an unusual dream. I found myself surrounded by darkness, and suddenly a familiar voice, which I recognized as Persephone's, called out to me. As I moved towards the sound, I saw her beckoning me to join her, reaching out her hand.

Startled, I awoke from the dream, feeling disoriented and trying to comprehend its meaning. Before I could gather my thoughts, Ryuji called out my name, letting me know that the car was ready to go.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

I was amazed by the excellent work Ryuji had done. The previous damage to my car was completely repaired, the bodywork looked as good as new with fresh paint, and even the windscreen was fixed. As I got into the car and started the engine, a satisfying roar filled the air, bringing a smile to my face.

Ryuji then mentioned that he had replaced the old engine with a new, faster one for no extra cost. I expressed my gratitude for his exceptional work and left the auto shop.

Driving away, I eagerly anticipated the new engine's performance as I left the shop behind. I found myself pondering over what to do next. That's when I remembered an old fixer I knew.

I drove down to the infamous Jig-Jig Street, a notorious location known for its shady dealings and Joytoys. I made my way to the pachinko parlor. As soon as I walked in, I spotted the very old yet still capable Wakako Okada on the phone, but she gestured to me that she'd be with me in a minute.

I patiently stood by the door and waited for Wakako to finish her call before talking to her. Finally, Wakako hung up and greeted me with a smile. "Ah, Carver, it's good to see you again," she said.

I returned the greeting with a bow and complimented her on her ageless appearance.

"Charming," she replied. "But I take it you didn't come here for chit-chat?"

I explained my predicament to Wakako. "Due to NC being placed under lockdown. I've got nothing to do until the lockdown is lifted and I'm in the market for a gig.”

That's when Wakako pulled out a photograph of a man with short black hair, a scar across his right eye, and a bandage wrapped around his left ear. She handed it to me and told me that I'd be working with someone and that she'd be in contact with me soon. When I asked about the man in the picture, she simply said, "You'll find out in due time."

As I pressed for more information, Wakako remained tight-lipped. With no other option, I thanked her and left. I made my way back to my apartment, deep in thought. As I gazed out of the window, I couldn't help but reflect on my life so far.

The death of Sam, my involvement with the Patriots, a brief encounter with Ruby, and now the lockdown in NC—everything seemed to be connected in some way. I thought back to what Persephone said and how much she impacted my life. Even though it was a short conversation, I had a strange thought in my mind to go back to Clouds and listen to her again. I was very quick in shutting down those thoughts.

Finally, I lay down on my bed, closed my eyes, and tried to clear my mind.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing; looking at the phone, it was an unknown number.

Max: “Hello?”

??? “Are you Max Carver?”

Max: “Yeah... Who is this? What do you want?”

???: “Lele Park! Be there in fifteen minutes.”

They hung up, not letting me get the last words in. With no other option, I got up quickly, got dressed, and headed for Lele Park.